Member Profile
Available for Mentorship
Seeking Mentorship
Kofi Mensah (Test), Ph.D, AICP
Academic/Researcher

Basic Infomation
Current Role
Director of Housing Equity
Years of Planning Experience
20+ years (Experienced Leader)
Current Region
Latin America & the Caribbean
Country of Residence
Ghana
Language
English, French
Areas of Interest
Region of Expertise
Middle East & North Africa
East & Southeast Asia
Urban Context
Mid-Sized Cities & Suburbs
Rural & Small Town Regional Planning
Informal Settlements
Focus Areas
Climate Adaptation & Environmental Planning
Governance, Innovation, & Global Practice
Urban Challenges & Solutions
My work targets Housing Affordability and Informal Settlement Integration. I am developing legal and spatial frameworks that allow for the formalization of "slum" districts without displacing the existing inhabitants, ensuring they gain access to basic utilities like clean water, sanitation, and reliable electricity.
Background & Experience
Dr. Kofi Mensah is a renowned urban planner whose work spans three continents. After earning his doctorate from the London School of Economics, he spent several years working with UN-Habitat on rapid urbanization challenges in West Africa. He specializes in inclusive zoning laws and community-led land-titling processes. Kofi has served as a policy advisor for various municipal governments, helping them navigate the complex intersection of rapid population growth and limited fiscal resources. He is the founder of the "Common Ground" initiative, which focuses on providing legal aid to low-income tenants facing eviction in rapidly gentrifying urban centers.